The NBA is fining James Harden $100,000 for “for public comments on August 14 and 17 indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team.”
While on a publicity trip for Adidas in China, Harden disparaged Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, calling him a liar and saying he’ll never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.
Then, in an interview with Houston television station KHOU, the 76ers guard said that his relationship with the team is beyond repair and is instead focusing his off-season on things he can control.
Harden opted into his player option for $35.6 million at the beginning of the off-season. According to reports, Harden opted in so that he could be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
“The league’s investigation, which included an interview of Harden, confirmed that these comments referenced Harden’s belief that the 76ers would not accommodate his request to be traded,” the NBA wrote in a statement.
The league was also investigating whether or not Harden was planning to hold out for the 2023-24 season — which would be a violation of the collective bargaining agreement — or is planning to bring up past contract discussions that would have constituted salary cap circumvention.
The inquiry into possible salary cap circumvention may be targeted towards speculation that the 76ers and Harden worked towards the guard taking a pay cut last season in hopes of building the rest of the roster for a championship push.
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